The third highlight

The colour for the third highlight is made out of yellow ochre, a touch of vermilion red and chrome yellow, and white lead. The quantity of white lead will be determined after making some trials on secondary parts of the icon, such as the fingers, for example. In our case, we added two touches of this white to obtain the right colour intensity for this highlight. This highlight can be applied using the "petit lac" method or by brushing, and must be stumped after drying.

An additional highlight layer could be required. In this case, just add a touch of titanium white to the previous mixture. You will also have to stump it with a dry brush filled with a mixture of water/emulsion (50/50).

Retracing the lines

Before applying the final lights, it may be useful to precise again the lines of the face, they could have been partially hidden by the successive layers of highlight. Use a mixture of burnt Siena and black. Make a dry mixture and retrace the lines with precision.

The final highlight lines

These white and fine strokes are made with a dry mixture of titanium white and a little bit of yellow ochre. The strength of this white mixture must be well under control to avoid ending up with very contrasted faces. The exact places to draw these lines must be studied precisely before acting. They have to give life to the angels, so be careful not to ruin your work. It could be of great interest to observe some old traditional models of this icon to understand the disposition and the direction of these white strokes... Trace the lines without charging the brush – use a dry mixture – and look out for precision. Don't stump.